


Falling is easy, getting up is hard

by Mxrvel



Category: The Walking Dead (TV), apocalypse - Fandom, zombies - Fandom
Genre: Angst, F/F, F/M, Family, Friendship, Love, M/M, Multi, Surviving
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-02
Updated: 2016-07-02
Packaged: 2018-07-19 15:25:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7367149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mxrvel/pseuds/Mxrvel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hayley is a survivor, but she starts to question her policy of being alone when she saves a boy around her age from a herd of Walkers. The group of the boy named Carl Grimes is okay, good to help her survive. But her growing friendship with Carl and the arrival of the group in a safe-zone called Alexandria challenges her. She can't go back to who she was before. After all, she's just a girl that lost her family way too soon. That was alone way too long. That has no family left. But maybe she has a chance to choose her own little family.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Falling is easy, getting up is hard

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters except for Hayley  
> Would be nice to get some critique, tell me what you like and what you don't! 
> 
> Songs to hear while reading:  
> Sail - AWOLNATION  
> Last Resort - Papa Roach

When the world was still intact people used to say that falling is easy, but getting up is hard. Hayley always hated this saying. It sounded like the typical thing to say to a teenager that has a heartache. But now that she was actually falling, in a physical, not an emotional way, she thought back to it.  
When she saw the herd breaking through the fence one mile away, she prepared to run. But first, she needed to sit through them passing, or else she would run directly into their middle. And that would be the end. Finito. Dead. Bitten. Torn apart. None of those things were acceptable.  
She would survive, she always did. But this stupid boy ruined all of her plans. The hideout wasn't made for two people. Only for Hayley. But when she saw him run into the direction of the Walkers, she had to save him. Not because she knew him, she didn't. But because in this obscure world every human life was worth the risk. Every human life was relevant. So she ended up tackling him, rolling into the hideout.  
He wanted to fight her, almost cut her with his knife, but she managed to press his hand down with her knee, pressing her hands on his mouth so he would shut up. Because if he didn't they were going to die. Every single step was a risk. And oh boy, he put up a fight. Hayley had to turn his head directly into the direction of the Walkers to keep him from trying to get her off him.  
His body was tensed. Hayley could understand. She wasn't eager to spend her time with some stranger that could kill her any second. But the guy didn't reach for his gun, so she was pretty sure he wasn't going to kill her. Maybe later, but not in this moment.

  
Hearing the Walkers moan and grunt made her shiver. It was a disgusting sound, mixed with slow, tumbling steps and the smell of rotting meat. The first Walkers passed, when Hayley turned the head of the boy back around so he could face the top of the bushes under which Hayley made a cave-like gap. It was very tight with two persons in it, so Hayley, who was sitting on top of the boy, had to bend her body down with her hands on both sides of him while he lay on his back with no space to move. She had to admit, this was the closest she ever was to a boy.  
She wasn't exactly ugly. She liked to describe herself as average. Her good features compensated her flaws. For example, she was short but she had long legs for her height. Or she didn't have that much of a bust size and hips but she was skinny. But she still didn't have a boyfriend or something. When the whole thing began, she was 10. She was with her Family. And at 13 she was all alone. For two years now. And now that she was fifteen, she didn't really have the opportunity. To trust someone, or to meet someone that didn't want to kill you for your stuff wasn't that easy.  
And having a boyfriend or a girlfriend, in Hayley's case she would consider both, wasn't important at all. Surviving was important.

  
Hayley tried to maintain the gap between their bodies, but her arms were getting more tired every second. There were still Walkers passing them. Running wasn't an option. So instead, Hayley eyed the boy under her hips suspiciously. He seemed to be her age, maybe a bit older. He looked kinda good. He wore an interesting hat, had dark brown hair and light blue eyes. He didn't seem to know what to think of Hayley, considering he was eying her too.  
Hayley was nervous. She tried to hold her breath, not wanting to move a bit so it wouldn't be more uncomfortable for both of them.  
When the last Walker was gone out of sight and out of earshot, she rolled out of the bushes, bringing some space between them. She needed to rest her arms for a second, taking a deep breath, before she jumped up and made her way to her secret stash where she kept the rest of her stuff hidden. The boy stayed longer in the hideout, but when she ran to her stash he got up quickly and followed her.  
Hayley threw her backpack and her quiver over her shoulders, revealing the black recurve bow, hidden under the leafs. She grabbed it and quickly made her way into the direction she wanted, almost forgetting about the boy.  
"Hey! Wait!", he called as quiet as he could. Making sure she'd understood him, the boy grabbed her shoulder, turning her around.  
"Hey wait."  
"What? I have to go.", she snapped.  
"I'm sorry. Do you need to go back to your group? I'm Carl. I just wanted to say thank you."  
"You're welcome.", Hayley replied, before taking off into the woods again.  
But Carl didn't let it go. He followed her and caught up to her in a matter of minutes.  
"You didn't answer my question.", he stated.  
"I don't have a group. I'm alone if that's what you wanted to know. But I warn you: Don't try anything stupid. I might be alone but I'm not weak."  
"I didn't want to do anything. I just-"  
Carl was cut off, leaving Hayley to wonder what he wanted to say. But instead, two more people came out of the woods, obviously with weapons, considering one of them pointed a crossbow at Hayley.  
"Carl! We said don't go too far away. We were looking for you. There was a herd coming into this direction.", a woman with black dreadlocks scolded him. Hayley almost burst out into laughter. It sounded like the woman was his mother and Carl was the child that left the house without telling anyone. But the guy with the crossbow seemed to care more about Hayley.  
"Who's this?"

  
"This is- uh...", Carl started but he stopped. He told her is name was Carl but she didn't tell him her name.  
"Hayley."  
"This is Hayley. She saved me from the herd."  
"She saved you?", the woman asked.  
"How did little girl do that exactly?"  
Carl felt uncomfortable. He rubbed the back of his neck while explaining how she tackled him into the safe spot and how the herd passed by.  
"Hayley. Are ya an archer? Or why do ya have a bow?", the man asked.  
"It's my bow. Took archery lesson before this. But can you please take off so I can go?"  
"Back to your group?"  
"How many times do I have to say this. I don't have a group. I'm alone."  
"You're alone?"  
The woman was shocked.  
"Have been for years. Can I go now?"  
But the people with her in the woods didn't seem to think about that. Instead, they changed some meaningful glares. They had a discussion only with their eyes, leaving Hayley as the odd one out. Suddenly, both adults nodded and Carl turned around, facing Hayley again.  
"How many Walkers have you killed?", he asked.  
"What? I lost count some time ago. Like...a lot?"  
"How many People have you killed?"  
"Excuse me?"  
"Just answer kid.", the man grunted.  
"3.", she replied. She avoided eye contact with Carl focusing on a point somewhere beside him. She couldn't tell them. She couldn't.  
"Why?"  
Hayley shot a glare at Carl before avoiding his eyes again.  
"That's private.", she hissed. Carl flinched, it was such a small gesture it almost felt familiar. Hayley didn't even notice it at first. But when she did her curiosity took over. Who could he have killed? Murderers? Strangers? His family?  
They were looking into each other's eyes, both looking for the truth of who they've killed. Both interested in the stories.  
"We have a place. A mile into the woods.", the woman started.  
"How 'bout you come with us? We could use someone like you.", the man finished. Creepy.  
Hayley hesitated. She was alone for all of this time. Strangers could kill her, rob her. But if they weren't the best actors of all time and they told the truth, she could have a break...

  
"You don't have to stay. You could try it, meet the others. Then you could decide.", the woman offered.  
"And I could just go? With all my stuff, all my weapons?"  
Everyone nodded.  
"How many are there?"  
"With us...uhm...13 I think.", Carl answered.  
13 People could kill Hayley without hesitating. It was a risk but she couldn't risk being killed by those three. She could sneak away if they didn't mean it. Or she would take some of them down with her. But she would make it somehow.  
"Ok. But if it's not working I'm going to leave."  
Carl nodded.  
"Okay, I'm Michonne by the way. This is Daryl Dixon. You're gonna have to talk to our leader, Rick, but I think he'll accept you pretty fast. He'll just want to make himself a clear picture of who you are. The others are nice, we are a mixed group. There are 4 that's been together since the start and then everyone joined at a certain point.", the woman explained while they started to walk into the direction of the camp.  
Hayley was nervous. Not about the others but the people already there. Carl was staring at her and Daryl's crossbow was always directly next to her. They would knock her out if she was going to make a wrong move. Just one.  
But Hayley didn't plan on doing so. She was way too happy to finally see people again.  
When the small group reached a field, Michonne pointed her katana in the air, motioning towards two almost invisible places in the trees in the middle of the field. But having seen them, Hayley could make out people. They had guards. They were safe.  
They made their way towards a line of pointy wooden poles in the ground until they suddenly stood in front of a massive stone wall. After looking at it closely, Hayley could tell that it had to be what was left of a house, the walls of the ground floor still standing. There were noises, the smell of fire and a woman laughing.  
It sounded like civilization, like normal.  
And Hayley loved the sound.


End file.
